Sorry doesn't fix anything
by speechless97
Summary: Derek was not used to being the bigger person. But this time, he had to, because they were partners. And if he couldn't trust his partner to have his back because they were in a stupid fight, who could he trust?


**[Just a little one-shot that's been in my head for awhile. Set a year after 'It takes a Village' Enjoy!]**

"_Being sorry is the highest act of selfishness, seeing value only after discarding it." -_Douglas Horton

"You two are going to work this out, or I promise you I'll get Strauss involved. Got it?" Their Unit Chief sounded genuinely pissed off, as he shut the door of the conference room with a slam.

Emily refused to look at him. She just sat down at the table and looked out the window. God, why did she have to be so stubborn?

"Prentiss, you know we've gotta talk about this.", he said attempting to break the cold, bitter silence.

"We don't have to do anything, Morgan.", she spat out, and it was like a slap in the face to him.

"Yes, we do. If we both want to stay on this team we somehow have to find a way not to want to kill each other.", he said, with as much resentment as her.

Derek was not used to being the bigger person. Usually, it would be him who held a grudge, who didn't want to make up. But this time, he had to, because they were partners. And if he couldn't trust his partner to have his back because they were in a stupid fight, who could he trust?

"Fine.", she said, turning around to face him.

There was a silence then, death glares exchanged.

"How did this start?", she finally said, realizing she couldn't even remember. It had been so many things, so many reasons she was mad at him, the she didn't even know what started the fight anymore.

"I... I got mad at you for putting yourself in danger... for going undercover on the Oregon case.", he said, all the anger gone from his eyes, and his voice.

And she remembered. He'd been angry; because she'd been stupid and reckless and let the UnSub get too close. Well, she did, that she realized later. She'd come just seconds away from death. But when he was standing there, yelling at her about safety, she just snapped. She didn't need him to defend her, she was a big girl, she had said. She even put the Doyle card on the table. Ouch. Maybe that had been too close to home.

"And then you didn't show the next day because you had a hangover, and I screamed at you because you didn't know how to be serious and professional ", she added, wincing slightly.

Yeah, she'd been a HUGE bitch. But he hadn't been a saint himself.

All of a sudden anger appeared in his face again.

"Do you wanna know why Emily?", he said, getting closer to her, until their faces were inches away.

"Why I went out, got drunk, and slept with a random girl that night? Because every time I closed my eyes I saw that son of a bitch holding a gun to your head, and I couldn't sleep. So I went and got drunk and had sex because I knew that would help. Happy?", he said, in a tone so harsh it would've scared the devil himself.

A silence filled the air again. They were never this silent. And when they were, the silences weren't filled with anger and resentment and awkwardness like this one was. They were usually comfortable, familiar. This silence was new.

She didn't know what to say, besides that she'd been a bitch.

"You almost shot me when you saw that I was cheating at cards with Reid.", she added, her voice slightly joking. She had some small hope that it would maybe lighten the mood.

An awkward silence again, and then laughter.

It started with a chuckle, but soon Derek was full on laughing, flashing his pearly whites at her. So she couldn't help but smile too.

"Why are you laughing?", she said, confused.

"Because, you're funny. It's funny how well I know you. Instead of admitting that you've been a total bitch and apologizing, you try to lighten the mood with a joke. Oh, and the fact that we're fighting like pre-schoolers is pretty funny too."

She didn't really know how to respond to that. It was true. He knew her well. And that she was sorry, that was true too. But she didn't think saying it would fix anything, even if other people did.

But she would, she thought. If it made him feel better; if it fixed at least something.

He was looking out the window, small smile on his face when she walked up to stand behind him.

Somehow, he knew she was there. Felt her looming behind him, so he turned around.

"I'm sorry.", she said, looking into his eyes, trying to convey how much she meant it.

He just looked at her.

"I know; me too Princess.", he said.

He knew she was sorry, that she just didn't want to say it.

He knew that those words had lost all meaning for her when she seemed to be saying them every minute a mere year ago.

And he understood. Because when you come back from the dead, come back to the people who had been grieving for you, no matter how many sorry's you put out there, it's never going to be enough.

Sorry didn't fix anything. Only time and forgiveness did that.

But this time, it did, he thought to himself as he put his arm around her shoulder, opening the door to what he was sure to be a snooping Garcia.

A stupid fight, that's what it was.

Good thing it was over now. Over, because of an apology.

That had to be a first.

**[Just a clarification; people have been mentioning that Morgan and Prentiss aren't partners. I don't know for sure, but I assumed since they get partnered up most of the time. So in this story and others I refer to them as partners, sorry of that's wrong. What do you guys think? Reviews are always appreciated :D]**


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